Thomas Warrick

Biography

I was born in the Southern Oregon town of Medford. I grew up on a cattle ranch near the small town of Lake Creek Oregon. I remember being on horse back as far back as my memory goes. My older sister, twin brother and I used to ride with my Father, Mother and Maternal Grandfather as they worked around the 1600 acre ranch. My Grandfather raised cattle and horses for the Lake Creek Cattle Company. My riding instruction came from my Grandfather and my parents. My Grandfather had raised horses and sold them to the US army before W.W.I in the Indian Territory. He was an excellent rider and instructor. My Father is one of the last Cavalry men to have taken his basic training on horse back during the start of W.W.II. He served with the Cavalry Recon company for the 96th Infantry Division in the Pacific theater. He never saw horseback after leaving the States until he was discharged and home. The age of Mechanized Cavalry had arrived. He also was a superb instructor for my siblings and myself. I learned quite a bit from both my Father and Grandfather. By the time I was out of High School we had moved and I no longer had easy access to a horse. So most of my riding days were over. As I worked and went to college I tried to get in a ride here ever I could, from relatives or friends at Oregon State University. At OSU I majored in Recreational Resource Management with a minor in History and Military Science. I served my basic training for ROTC at Fort Knox, Kentucky with the 1st Air Cavalry in 1975. My military career ended with a medical discharge later that year.

In 1976 I married a wonderful woman who shares my love of History and Horses. In 1978 we moved to Alaska to work. By 1980 we had returned to Southern Oregon where my son was born. I worked for Jackson County Parks for three years and then worked for the US Forest Service for two years. In 1983 my daughter was born. In 1985 I began my career as a migrant worker to Alaska. I worked as a Supervisor for Caseup and Shipping for a food 
processing plant from May through October for five years. In 1991 my family and I moved to Molalla, Oregon. My wife needed to finish her education and the Portland area was the easiest place to do that. I became a transportation Coordinator for Providence Medical Center. 

My family and I got hooked on Civil War Reenacting in 1992 when we first attended an Event at Fort Stevens near Astoria. At first I was being recruited for an Artillery unit, but my love of horses and the Cavalry won out. We joined a new unit that was forming in 1993. This was the 7th Virginia Cavalry. It had just formed out of members from the 9th Virginia Cavalry company "C". Later we were to go back to the 9th Virginia Cavalry as company "B". Eventually the Northwest Civil War Council allowed us to reform as the 1st Maryland Cavalry company "B". I worked my way through the ranks to Captain of this excellent company. My wife and daughter are part of the Confederate Hospital unit. My son and brother serve under me in the 1st Maryland Cavalry. Currently most of the members in my unit fight dismounted, but we have been making a push to get more of our members, myself included, out on the field as mounted.

I am currently the Event Planning Chairman and have worked as an Event Coordinator for the Northwest Civil War Council. I also have the honor of being a founding member of the Northwest Cavalry Association. 

I was lucky and privileged, at the 135th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg, to be able to take part as a Major for a Confederate Cavalry Regiment under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Warren Harrison and General Greg Sheppard. There I met and worked with some outstanding reenactors. Little was I to know that across the lines of battle from us was a man who would become a friend and another founding member of the NCA. I have also attended the 135th Anniversary of the battle of Chickamauga as a Sergeant. Our Squad of 1st Marylanders formed with the 7th Tennessee Cavalry and a grand time was had by all. I am glad that I have met such wonderful friends from a lot of different units from all over the nation. This is an enriching and satisfying experience for me. I have found this hobby to satisfy my love of horses and history.